Education & schools
in Australia
For a family moving across the world, school is often the question that matters most.
High-quality, welcoming and well-organised
Education is run by each state and territory, so starting ages, year-level names and term dates vary. All follow a common Australian Curriculum.
Schooling is compulsory from around age six until at least sixteen, and most children attend from the year they turn five. For newcomers, the practical headline is simple: places are generally easy to access, support for new arrivals is well established, and children tend to settle quickly.
How it’s structured
Early childhood
Long day care, preschool and kindergarten programs in the years before formal school: widely available, and a gentle on-ramp for younger children.
Foundation to Year 6
The first year (called Prep, Foundation, Kindergarten or Reception depending on the state) through to Year 6, the grounding years, usually from around age five.
Year 7 to Year 12
High school through to a senior secondary certificate. The final years lead to the ATAR, the rank used for university entry, though it’s far from the only pathway.
Childcare & early learning
If you’re moving with little ones, childcare is often the first thing to arrange.
Types of care
Long day care (centre-based, from babies to school age), family day care in a carer’s home, occasional care, and preschool or kindergarten in the year or two before school. School-age children can use outside-school-hours care before and after school and in the holidays.
Subsidy depends on your visa
Childcare is a real household cost. The federal Child Care Subsidy lowers fees for eligible families, but eligibility depends on your residency and visa status, so many families on a temporary visa (including the 482) don’t qualify and pay full fees. It’s worth budgeting for, and checking your position early.
Enquire before you move
Popular centres, especially in cities and inner suburbs, can have waiting lists. Registering your interest before you arrive, with a couple of options in mind, takes the pressure off those first few weeks.
Whether the Child Care Subsidy applies to you comes down to your visa, so we’ll help you understand where you stand, and factor childcare into the bigger picture of the move, before you commit.
Choosing a school
Families choose between three broad sectors. All follow the national curriculum; the right one depends on your priorities, your budget and where you live.
Government schools
Public schools, funded by the state, free or low-cost (small fees and costs apply). The large majority of children attend them, and places are usually tied to your home address.
Catholic schools
A large, well-established system open to families of many backgrounds, with modest fees. A popular middle path for many relocating families.
Independent schools
Private and faith-based schools with higher fees, offering particular philosophies, facilities or programs. Many have waiting lists, so it’s worth enquiring early.
School fees, and the part that depends on your visa
What you’ll pay depends on the sector and on your residency status. For most relocating families the biggest variable is the visa.
Government schools
Free or low-cost for citizens and permanent residents. You’ll still meet voluntary contributions, uniforms, excursions and materials, but tuition itself is covered.
Catholic schools
Modest tuition fees that rise gradually through the year levels, an affordable middle path for many families.
Independent schools
Higher fees that vary widely by school, reflecting facilities, programs and philosophy. Worth enquiring early, as many have waiting lists.
Residents and temporary residents pay differently
On a permanent visa, government schooling is free or low-cost and you are generally eligible for the Child Care Subsidy. On an employer-sponsored 482 you are a temporary resident, and two things change: your children may pay an annual tuition contribution at a government school, which varies by state and is waived for many of the occupations we place, and you usually will not qualify for the Child Care Subsidy. Because the amounts and exemptions are set state by state and revised each year, they live in one place rather than three: School fees on a visa holds the current figures by state, who is exempt, and the official page for each.
Enrolment & zones
For public schools, where you live usually decides which school your child can attend, which is why the suburb decision and the school decision go hand in hand.
Most government schools have a catchment zone, and living within it gives your child a place. That makes it worth researching schools before you choose a rental, especially if a particular school matters to you. Catholic and independent schools enrol more broadly but may have waiting lists and their own application timelines. Newly arrived children whose first language isn’t English are usually well supported through English as an Additional Language programs, so a language gap is rarely a barrier to settling in.
The specifics, zones, fees and what’s available near you, differ by state and suburb, so we’ll point you to the relocation guide for your state and the right state education department as those are published.
University & vocational pathways
Australia has a well-regarded university sector and a parallel vocational system (TAFE) for hands-on, industry-focused training. Entry to university is most often via the ATAR from Year 12, but there are many alternative pathways too.
Domestic or international fees?
Here the visa matters again, and it’s worth knowing early if you have older teenagers. Citizens and permanent residents are treated as domestic students, eligible for government-subsidised Commonwealth Supported Places, and (for citizens) the HECS-HELP loan that lets you defer fees. Temporary-visa holders, including dependants on a 482, are generally treated as international students: full international fees, and no access to HELP loans. If your family moves to permanent residency before or during study, that picture can change, so the timing of a teenager’s university start is worth planning around.
Moving with a teenager close to university age? Check this early: whether you’re on a temporary or permanent pathway can make a difference to tertiary fees, and it’s worth weighing alongside the rest of the move.
School is the worry I hear most from parents, and almost always the one that resolves most happily. Children settle faster than their parents expect, schools are welcoming to new arrivals, and the support for kids finding their feet is real. My one piece of practical advice: if a particular public school matters, check its zone before you sign a lease. That single step saves families a lot of stress.
SophieFounder, Ethicare Resourcing
The things parents ask us first
Will my child get a place easily?
Generally yes. Government schools must provide a place for children living in their catchment zone, and Catholic and independent schools enrol from a wider area (sometimes with waiting lists). The main thing is to align your housing choice with the school you’d like.
What if English isn’t my child’s first language?
Schools are well set up for this through English as an Additional Language support. Children pick up the language quickly, and a language gap rarely holds them back from settling and making friends.
How much do schools cost?
Government schools are free or low-cost for residents (with contributions for uniforms, excursions and materials). Catholic schools charge modest fees; independent schools charge more and vary widely. See what school costs for the full picture, including how it changes on a temporary visa.
We’re on a 482 visa. Do we pay for a government school?
Possibly. This is the key thing to check. On an employer-sponsored 482 you’re a temporary resident, and several states and territories charge an annual tuition contribution for temporary residents’ children at public schools, while others exempt skilled or sponsored visas. It varies a lot by state and changes over time, so check the current policy with the state education department where you’re heading before you budget.
Can we get the Child Care Subsidy on a 482?
Usually not. The Child Care Subsidy depends on residency and visa status, and most temporary-visa families, including many on a 482, don’t qualify, so they pay full childcare fees. Permanent residents and citizens are generally eligible. It’s worth budgeting for either way and checking your position early.
Will my child’s year level transfer?
Usually children are placed by age into the corresponding year level, with schools assessing where they’ll fit best. Because starting ages and year names vary by state, it’s worth confirming the equivalent with your destination’s education department.
Helpful alongside this guide
Worried about the move for your kids?
It’s the most natural worry of all, and one we’ve helped many families work through. Tell us their ages and what matters to you, and we’ll help you think it through.
Ethicare Resourcing · your guide to a life and career in Australia.